Werd I/O

This is a really comprehensive history and overview of LLMs. Simon has been bringing the goods, and this talk is no exception. #AI

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Taking lean startup research techniques that were developed for basic social networks or, say, 3D avatars and transposing them to real-world domains with real consequences seems to be an ongoing trend. It's a misunderstanding of the startup playbook that causes real harm. This is obviously unethical; it is nowhere near as "nuanced" as this CEO says it is. #Health

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I broadly agree with this piece, which is a kind of rallying cry against dogmatism in open source. I think dogmatism is harmful in all parts of tech; divisive and often a kind of gatekeeping. Let authors build and release according to their needs. #Technology

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Return to Office mandates are counterproductive and destroy morale. They also make your team less productive. They’re worker-hostile and work-hostile. So why do them? #Labor

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I've traveled across America four times: three by car and one by train. I've never done it by Greyhound, and I probably never will. This country's infrastructure is falling apart and being eaten by wolves. #Society

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The broadband situation in America is surprisingly bad - so I love that there's a new version of the National Broadband Map. The Markup has done a public service by taking us through it. #Technology

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Late as it is, it's good to see this to some kind of resolution. I hope the posthumous recognition Lacks receives includes the story of how it happened in the first place. #Equality

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31 straight days of 110°F / 43°C heat. And then only a short reprieve before more of it. Ocean surface temperatures at over 90°F / 32°C. And still there are people who deny we’re in a crisis. Spoiler alert: it gets worse from here. #Climate

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The fediverse is how every major new social network will be built for the next decade, and every media company will need to have a presence. Welcome to the BBC. #Technology

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The single biggest way large entities seem to be reducing their carbon emissions is through accounting. Not by taking action to diminish the impact of the climate crisis before it’s too late; by changing some numbers on a spreadsheet. We’ve crafted an imaginary cage for ourselves where the physical world is secondary to our modeling of it. #Climate

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An enormously useful piece of informal research. Some folks will disregard this for the same reason they disregard why some people use Macs instead of Linux, and whatever. But if Mastodon wants to be an accessible network, these are all problems to solve. #Technology

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Heather Bryant is spot on as usual here: trust is a facet of human relationships and not something you place in an organization, company, or product. Using a more appropriate framing will help you figure out how to build the relationships your newsroom needs. #Media

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This seems great: funding projects to create a fairer, more just data ecosystem, with a focus on teams who themselves come from impacted communities. I'm excited to see what comes out of it. #Technology

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The more I learn about Elon Musk, the more I think he’s exactly the kind of entrepreneur that laws and regulations are there to protect us from. This seems like something Tesla owners could take real action on. #Technology

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Fuck yes. A heartstoppingly relentless, bold, knife attack of a book that cuts to the heart of the emptiness of living in Silicon Valley and everywhere. Every few pages I wanted to yell, "this, this, this." I couldn't put it down. #Fiction

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The idea that these women - or any enslaved people - benefitted from the degrading atrocity of slavery is disgusting. That a government is peddling this lie perpetuates the deep harm that was committed. The blind cruelty is unfathomable. #Society

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Esther clearly comes from a different perspective and worldview to me, but her take on Twitter and X is uniquely notable given how tied up in the story she’s been. I honestly don’t know what to think, but this is interesting background. #Technology

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This unfortunately stands to reason: the Mastodon instance where you make your home has the potential to be seized as part of an investigation. This is a downside of federation vs peer-to-peer, and is a reason why I have my own single-user instance. (Generally, though, it's worth saying that I'd expect data to be subpoenaed rather than having the server itself be physically seized.) #Technology

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"How can I make this like me?" is something I'm striving to do better at in my creative work and my life as a whole. Words to live (and write) by. #Culture

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This bill will censor LGBTQ+ voices and far more. It's a way to heavily restrict the internet not just with respect to harmful content, but also "controversial" content. It also mandates identity verification if you're interacting with that content. It's a deeply regressive way of looking at publishing. There's still time to read up about it and tell your representative that you don't want it passed. #Democracy

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An example of why unions are great: a better wage secured for a large workforce, with better conditions. They weren't asking for anything crazy: reasonable pay, guaranteed vacations, and air conditioning in the trucks. It's just unfortunate that they didn't have these things before. #Labor

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"Our vision is for a World Wide Web that is more inclusive, and more respectful of its users: a Web that supports truth over falsehood, people over profits, humanity over hate." I like this sentiment a lot but it also has the potential to cause accidental harms. Who defines truth? W3C members? Someone else? #Technology

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A fascinating look into something that, for a little while, was a vital part of the global internet. They remain community hubs, even becoming de facto daycare centers, but smartphones and ubiquitous connectivity have left them struggling. #Society

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Oh, hey, open release! I've been using Arc as my primary browser all year, and I truly love it. It's a huge step forward in browser UX and while I don't use every feature, I can't see myself going back to the 1990s-style paradigm. #Technology

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An important designation that should never have been necessary at all. Notable that a memorial sign for Emmett Till was repeatedly stolen and shot. The sickness is ongoing. #Equality

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